Android Manifest.xml File :
Android application project must have an AndroidManifest.xml file (case-sensitive) which should be location at the project source folder. Manifest files declares all the important features and information about your App to the build tools, Android Operating System and Google Play stores.
AndroidManifest.xml files contains the package name of your application, permissions and features used by your application and also the Icon of the application.
Manifest files declares following :
Package name of an Application.
Components of the application – all services, broadcast receivers, activities and content provider. The activity component also declares the screen-orientation, its name.
Permissions that the application will be using to access parts of systems or other apps and hardware components. It also specifies the permissions that other apps must have in order to access the contents of its application.
Example :
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE" />
Hardware and software features used by the application. This is important to declare as Google play store will determine if the target device is capable to use your application or not.
Example :
<uses-feature android:name="android.software.live_wallpaper" android:required="true" />